collins



(No'ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. I. COLLINS.

STEAM COUPLING FOR RAILROAD CARS.

INVENTOR ZM ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 29; 1888.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. I. COLLINS.

STEAM COUPLING FOR RAILROAD CARS.

\Q INVENTOR ATTORNEYS).

Patented May 29, 1888.

WITN] SE8: W.

N. PETERS. PhnlwLilhogrzuher. Washingon. D. C.

UNITED STATES Prion.

ATENT JAMES I. COLLINS, OF AMSTERDAM,NI JNV YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,628, dated May 29,1 8 88.

Application filed September 7, 1887. Serial No.249,021. (No model.)

To all whom it 71mg concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES I. Counts, of Amsterdam, in the county ofMontgomery and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedSteam-Coupling for Railroad-Oars, of which the following is a full,clear, and eX- act description.

My invention relates to an improvement in steam-couplings forrailroadcars, and has for its object to provide means for automaticallyestablishing or breaking tubular connection between the cars or engineand cars of a train for warming, ventilating, or analogous purposes, thetubular communication between the cars, when established, serving toconvey steam, air, or water, as circumstances may direct and accordingto the purpose required.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side elevation of the coupling applied, and Fig. 2 is aplan view of the coupling detached. Fig. 3 is a partial elevation andsection of one of the couplings. Fig. 4 is a central horizontal sectionthrough the same, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of thecouplings.

In carrying out the invention both sections of the couplings are madealike, there being no right or left, male or female, whereby one set ofpatterns only are needed, and all possibility of mistakes is avoided inattaching the sections to the car or engine.

Two substantially Y-shaped conductors, A and A, are provided, onemember, a, of which is tubular, likewise the shank a the other member,a, being made solid to serve as a bearing for connections, hereinafterdescribed. The tubular member a is carried inward to align the outer endof the solid member a, and provided with an exterior thread, I), and aninterior flanged packing, b, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the said endbeing adapted to receive the reduced end (I of an L, D, which is held toturn freely by the ordinary form of packing-gland, d. Thus between the Land the tubular member a a hinged steam-tight connection is obtained. Inalignment with the reduced end 01 of the L an annular projection, e, isproduced integral with the outer side, which projection is j ournaled inthe outer end of the solid member a. This is accomplished by dividingthe end of the member and producing an aperture centrally thedividing-line to receive the projection e, the two parts being thereuponsecured to one another by bolts or otherwise. A journal-box, e, is thusob tained, and the L is permitted to have a free rotary movement betweenthe members a and a.

The shanks of the Y-conductors A and A are connected by a nipple ordirectly in such manner as that one will occupy a horizontal positionand the other a vertical position, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3.

A tubular rod, F, is screwed into the outer end of the L, D, which rodat its unattached extremity is provided with a conical enlargement, f,closed at the end, having longitudinal peripheral grooves f and anaperture, f at one side connecting with the interior of the tube. Theconical enlargement f is purposed to act as a valve, and to that end asleeve, H, is packed to slide upon the rod F, provided with a flaringmouth, h, interiorly tapered to correspond with the taper of the valvef, the port f 2 being normally covered by the reduced tapering portionof the walls. A collar, h, is secured upon the inner end of the rod F,and a spiral or coil spring, h", is made to intervene the sleeve andcollar and bear against the same, as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 4.. t

A section of tubing, K, of equal interior diameter with the greatestinterior diameter of the sleeve H, is screwed into said sleeve, and tosaid tubing a disk, K, is secured, by thread or otherwise.

The disk K is provided with a small central aperture, k, and upon theouter face with a rubber or other flexible packing-ring to make a closejoint when two disks or half-couplings are brought together, and thesaid disk is furnished upon its periphery with any number of wedge ortooth shaped guides G, arranged to project beyond the faces or ends ofsaid disks, and so that on bringing the two half-couplings or diskstogether they will be automatically guided by the projections or guidesto their XCO 2 scam I required relative positions, and the faces of thedisks,.when brought together by means of the guides, are kept in contactagainst disturbance by vibratory motion of the ears,without restricting,however, the independent motion of each car.

In attaching the coupling to a car it is supported at the outer end by achain attached to the sill and passing around the coupling to the rearof the disk, the inner ends being sustained in position by theengagement of a staple, m, integral with the upper member of theY-shaped conductors A, with a bracket, m, secured beneath the car, asshown in Fig. 1.

As illustrated in the plan view, Fig. 2, the opposing couplings, whilealike in construction, are arranged out of line, so that when the diskscome together they will counteract the effect of each other, and inhanging the couplings are allowed to drop at their outer ends at aslight angle downward, to be forced up by the contact, suflicient playbeing allowed to efl'ect a proper result. It will be observed that thecoupling is, as it were,double-j ointedthat is, the sections have,respectively, a vertical and horizontal play, so that when not in usethe couplings may be out of the way beneath the car withoutdisconnecting them from the pipes.

In operation, the inner ends of the couplings being connected to thepipes beneath the car, when the disks of opposing cars are brought incontact and locked, they are each forced backward, which causes thesleeve to slide back upon the rod F, compress the spring h, and causethe tube K to slide over the valve f, the tube being of greater diameterthan the diameter of the valve at the outlet f The steam,hot air, orother product passing through the coupling is allowed to escape and passout through the medium of the peripheral groove f into the tube K, andfrom thence through of the train; also, that when a car is disconclaimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A coupling for heating or ventilating pipes of cars, consisting oftwo essentially Y- shaped conductors secured to one another at rightangles and one of them pivotally connected to the pipes, a tubular rodpivotally connected to the other conductor, a tube provided with anapertured disk and connected to the tubular rod, and a valve in theextremity of the said tubular rod, substantially as described.

2. A coupling for heating or ventilating pipes of a car, consisting oftwo essentially Y- shaped conductors secured toeach other at rightangles and one of them pivotally connected to the pipes, a tubular rodpivoted to Y the other conductor and provided with a conical end havingperipheral grooves, a springaetuated sleeve having a flaring mouth, atube connected to the sleeve, and an apertured disk on the end of thesaid tube, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination, with a railway-car and the heating or ventilatingpipes, of a coupling consisting of the essentially Y-shaped conductors AA, having one solid and one tubular member and connected at right anglesto each other, an L pivoted between the members of each conductor, theinner L being adapted for connection with the said pipes, a tubular rod,F, secured to the outer L, provided with a conical valve at one end andan encircling spring, a sleeve, H, havinga flaring mouth, adapted toreciprocate upon said rod over the valve and bear against said spring, atube, K, secured to said sleeve, and an apertured disk attached to thetube, having attached peripheral fingers, substantially as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

JAMES I. COLLINS.

Witnesses:

LAWRENCE A. Snnvrss, J OHN F. C LLINs.

